The E. coli O157 bacterium is
blamed for roughly 73,000 infections and 61 deaths in the United States each
year, according to the CDC. Most illnesses from E. coli O157 are
associated with eating undercooked, contaminated ground beef, making it
important to cook hamburgers to an internal temperature of at least 160 °F. Use
a meat thermometer to be sure, as contaminated meat looks and smells normal and
can turn brown before disease-causing bacteria are killed.

Wash hands thoroughly* before eating,
preparing food, after using the bathroom, changing diapers or after contact
with animals.

Cook all ground beef thoroughly, until
juices are no longer pink. Use a meat thermometer to ensure it is cooked to
160 °F.

Wash meat thermometers between uses.

Wash counters and utensils with hot, soapy
water after coming in contact with raw meat.

When cooking outdoors, use separate plates
for raw meat and cooked meat.

Keep raw meats and their juices away from
other foods.

When ordering hamburger at a restaurant, cut
the patty at its thickest part to make certain the center is not still pink.
If it is pink, return it for further cooking and ask for a new bun and
plate.

Avoid swallowing lake or pool water while
swimming.

People and children suffering from diarrhea
should avoid swimming in public pools or lakes, sharing baths and preparing
food.

* Thorough hand washing is defined as
using warm water and washing with soap for at least 30 seconds. In public
restrooms, use your arm or a paper towel to turn off the faucet and, if
available, use the automatic door opener to exit the bathroom.

Grilling Safety

It’s safe to picnic and grill in the summer, but it’s especially important to be
vigilant about food preparation. We encourage our residents to:

Keep meat and poultry refrigerated until
ready to use. Take out only the meat and poultry that will immediately be
placed on the grill.

When using a cooler, keep it out of the
direct sun and place it in the shade or shelter. Avoid opening the lid too
often, which lets cold air out and warm air in. Pack beverages in one cooler
and perishables in a separate cooler.

Cook food to a safe internal temperature to
destroy harmful bacteria. Meat and poultry cooked on a grill often browns
very fast on the outside. Use a food thermometer to be sure the food has
reached a safe internal temperature. Whole poultry should reach 180 °F;
breasts, 170 °F. Hamburgers made of ground beef should reach 160 °F; ground
poultry, 165 °F. Beef, veal and lamb steaks, roasts and chops can be cooked
to 145 °F. All cuts of pork should reach 160 °F.

NEVER partially grill meat or poultry and
finish cooking later.

After cooking meat and poultry on the grill,
keep it hot until served - at 140 °F or warmer.

Keep cooked meats hot by setting them to the
side of the grill rack, not directly over the coals where they could
overcook. At home, the cooked meat can be kept hot in a warm oven
(approximately 200 °F), in a chafing dish or slow cooker or on a warming
tray.

When taking food off the grill, use a clean
platter. Don't put cooked food on the same platter that held raw meat or
poultry. Any harmful bacteria present in the raw meat juices could
contaminate safely cooked food.

In hot weather (above 90 °F), food should
never sit out for more than one hour.

Refrigerate any leftovers promptly in
shallow containers. Discard any food left out more than two hours (one hour
if temperatures are above 90 °F).